Mayor Mary commented that approximately $50,000 was spent collaborating on the East Side study that identified Victoria as the best side for the next District #112 elementary school.  Said Peggy Hunter, "This doesn't preclude all the work you've done in this direction already."
The collaborative expenses were paid by the groups in the collaborative:  School District #112, the cities of Chanhassen, Chaska, Victoria, Carver County, MN Landscape Arboretum, Carver County Library Board.
Resident Mary Erickson asked why the Victoria's park property, the new 40-acre Eklo site, would not be "an ideal site for a public elementary school," that Victoria could have offered "free" land as Chaska did for the school.
Replied Mayor Mary, "First of all, the district's decision happened so fast we are still reacting.  It was always their direction that there were different school sites in Victoria, that's where they were looking."
About the Eklo property, the mayor said, "The people of Victoria paid for that, and we charge every one of those new houses going up on the East Side, $1,500 to pay for that park - so if we want to put a school there, we'd have to see how our financing structures work.  We felt our existing residents already paid for a park, and now the new people are actually paying for that park.  If we weren't getting the new people in Victoria, we wouldn't need the park. 
"The school district could look at buying contiguous property … The school district has done a purchase agreement on the Jerry Michel piece.  They say it's where the second elementary school will be built."
"We want to make sure that our planning doesn't penalize us," continued Mayor Mary, "that because we spent $1.2 million for that park property and now we have to spend more.  We have to make sure that the people of Victoria are not overspending and overpaying compared to the rest of the district."
(It has since been learned that, legally, the city's Eklo property cannot be used as a school site.  It's related to the city's financing and future payment of the $1.2 million 40-acre parcel.)
" Who makes the regional deci-sions?" asked Mary.  "What are the next steps?  Does it take deep pockets or not?  At this time I don't even know if the elementary school is coming to Victoria or not."
Replied Peter Hutchinson of Public Strategies Group, "Define your goals and challenge us to deliver.  What you need is to create your institution in an unusual way.  This is the only shot we got for our kids.  We can't rest.  You're going to find that you don't all agree." "The next steps?  For a charter you'd have to do a quick and dirty financial analysis, then identify someone to be a project manager, find a sponsor, and do some detailed financial planning.  It's a delicate community-based project.  If you don't know where you want to go, any road will get you there."
     Stated resident Carol Vadnais regarding the ability to pay for expensive and modern technology in a charter school, "Some of what kids learn today is outdated before they  graduate.  We should raise our kids to be critical thinkers.  That's what's important."
Stated Jim Paulsen, "Victoria ranks education as the number one factor to consider in growth." 
The above gathering of council, staff, residents, and experts was held in the dining hall of the St. Victoria Parish Center, midst both wailing and joyful voices of children participating in the Jamboree Preschool.